Tennis-Tomic father's Madrid hearing suspended until October

MADRID

MADRID May 13 The hearing in Madrid on Tuesday at which John Tomic, father and coach of Australian world tennis number 52 Bernard Tomic, was due to answer a charge of causing criminal injury has been postponed until October, court authorities said on Monday.

The hearing could not take place on Tuesday because the alleged victim, Bernard's practice partner Thomas Drouet, was not in Spain and was unable to attend, the authorities said. An exact date had not yet been set, they added.

John Tomic, who was in the Spanish capital as his son was competing at the Madrid Open, has been suspended from ATP events after he was involved in an altercation with Drouet in the street.

Tomic told a Madrid court last week he had acted in self-defence when he butted Drouet in the face, breaking his nose. (Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Clare Fallon)